Subsection 255 of the modified MOHS Regulations requires that the Employer ensures that the airborne asbestos fibre concentration remains as low as reasonable without exceeding limits established by the American Conference of Industrial Hygienists.The regulatory change is intended to maintain the level of exposure as low as low as reasonably practicable but not exceeding the exposure limit of 0.1 fiber per by all airborne asbestos fibers on a time-weighted average of 8 hours of a 40-hour work week.

So how is it measured?What's the name of the test equipment?What qualifications required to operate same?In 1960-65 I couldn't see through the fog generated by ripsaws ripping it off all steam pipes, do these new regs mean I'm on borrowed time?

Remembering The Good Old days, when Chiefs stood watches and all Torque settings were F.T.

I guess they have a fan blowing a known volume of air per minute through a filter, and at the end of a fixed time period somebody will look at the Filter under a microscope and count the number of Asbestos fibres, and then relate that to the volume of air someone working in those conditions would breathe and the hours they were exposed to work out the number of fibres they will have in their lungs. However, I thought that there was NO Safe level of exposure to Asbestos, but what would I know?

From what you have told us about your Apprenticeship, you have been on borrowed time ever since!Maybe all the Beer that you have drunk, to clear the Asbestos Dust out of your throat, has pickled your body from the inside out.

BP

It is always better to ask a stupid question than to do a stupid thing.

Merlyn wrote:So how is it measured?What's the name of the test equipment?What qualifications required to operate same?In 1960-65 I couldn't see through the fog generated by ripsaws ripping it off all steam pipes, do these new regs mean I'm on borrowed time?

In my experience "Air Sampling" in a space is done with a specialized air pump with a very fine filter on it's suction. After the pump is run for up to an hour in a given area the filter is removed, placed in a sterile bag and sent to a lab for analysis.

The testing, location & condition recording of asbestos on the ships I was on since the requirement came into effect, was done by a company from Ontario certified by the province to do the required testing. Regular testing and inspections were done an annual basis and reports were retained on board and were reviewed by Class on behalf of Transport Canada. The particular Company that does the testing that I was dealing with, is also certified to and has all the specialized equipment and training to manage the removal and or encapsulation of Asbestos.

There doesn't seem to be any kind of guidance in the current or amended reg's as to where and when testing should be carried out that I can see. Leaving it up to the company owning the ship and the testing company to set the parameters for testing with respect to where and when testing is to be carried out. Allowing testing to be done when everything is shut down reducing the risk of atmospheric contamination by asbestos caused by vibration and other factors, caused a real problem for me a few years ago.

After reporting to the vessel's manager that there was an issue with Asbestos precipitation from the block insulation around the exhaust of the Main Engine due to vibration while working in ice. The Manager then ordered an "Air" test to be carried out at various points around the ship, while in port with the absolute minimum of equipment running. In effect stipulating conditions that would give more desirable results. The manager, with a extremely sharp eye on the "Budget", used the report, based on "Air" sampling results with little or no asbestos fibers in the local atmosphere to refute my concerns and as a justification to use what more commonly know as the "Handyman's Secret Weapon" here in Canada or Duct Tape to patch the leaks in the canvas cover over the insulation. This despite vibration was causing Asbestos to quite literally fall like snow out of every expansion joint and support bracket in the exhaust onto the deck in the engine room and being sucked into the engine turbo filters. It took a lot of fighting and arguing that almost cost people their jobs, on mine and few others parts, to get a serious health issue rectified but eventually the original exhaust insulation was properly sealed and encapsulated.

Finally Yes Merlyn, you like the rest of us are on borrowed time. If the Asbestos don't get us Cigarettes, Cigars and now Marijuana or Booze just might!

Exactly! I was on a flight complaining about security to the person beside me. She said, it keeps us safe from all the crazies who would bomb the plane. I answered, lady, we're all dying, some just get there faster. she was appalled.

I think back in the sixties a good sampling device on improvising with what you had in the engine room would be on the lines of that stripped off line genset running on LFO had a large jam jar as a sight glass on the suction side, off with it, wave it anti-clockwise six times in the air and then ditto clockwise.Allow to stand overnight, next morning any asbestos over half an inch present in the bottom of the sight glass would indicate that indeed it was present in the atmosphere.That, coupled with the peering through the fog vision observation test of the identity of who it was working on one of the mains opposite you would indeed confirm that.In passing I would indeed confirm that not only being taught how to turn, machine to size, measure correctly, fit and gap rings I was also taught how to drink properly and to date I can safely state that there are no photographs of me out there drinking out of a half pint glass.However I would concede that having slightly more higher readings on my hour meter than some I am now semi respectable, ( no not totally ) and this means of course a slight reversal in the drinking pattern.No more gallons of ale and a packet of crisps and a pickle, nowadays a fillet steak etc and ale/wine as an infill only.In other words compared to the old days boring.Gave up the woodbines twenty years plus ago.

Can't say as I ever viewed the stern Rail in the manner described on the site, always thought I would leave it to the woodbines and the ale to do their work on me.However looking back on it all I have to say that for me, ( to say the least ) I definately had the best of it all, the big problem however was that I never realised it at the time.Put it this way you would never, ever be able to test non common rail injectors in the manner that I had been taught to after those horrendous Christmas Drinking training courses we all had to undertake and still stand up at the end of it all and endure the family Christmas at home.Me? I'm still pedalling and still a E. U. T .( Engineer Under Training )Alewise and come to think of it just about everthink else.So to all the doom and gloom merchants out there I would say Onwards and Upwards and don't dither over that next G&T, and make it a double.

Remembering The Good Old days, when Chiefs stood watches and all Torque settings were F.T.